In December 1988, the Logan Motorway between Gailes and Loganholme in South East Queensland opened to traffic. To use the toll road in either direction for its entire length of 30 kilometres, a motorist is required to stop and pay a toll three times, once for each of three sections, so that the total toll is $1.50. Multi-axled vehicles pay higher tolls. A toll road enables a highway authority to provide a high standard facility earlier than could otherwise be obtained by conventional public funding and to achieve equitable funding because of the direct contribution of users. In this paper, the additional costs and benefits of a toll road are evaluated. The costs include higher vehicle operating costs and increased vehicle operating costs and increased travel time for users from having to stop. These costs proved to be very small compared with the travel time savings valued at 13c per minute and providing a net consumer surplus of $8m per annum for about 6000 users per day. An increased vehicle occupancy could not be detected for motorway users. No unfavourable community effects could be quantified (A).
Abstract